Martin Buday was riding a three-fight win streak when his manager called in late July.
The fighter, then ranked No. 12 in the UFC’s heavyweight division, had just scored a unanimous decision win over the legendary jiu-jitsu champion Marcus Buchecha at UFC Abu Dhabi.
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Buday was still celebrating — Buchecha, after all, had been an idol of his for more than a decade. But on fight week, Buday said, the two foes “separated any good emotions” during an impromptu meeting. They shook hands and wished the best man to win.
That man, on July 26, was Buday.
Buday out-struck Buchecha on the feet and successfully stuffed the jiu-jitsu ace’s takedown attempts. He ground out a convincing but unspectacular win.
The 33-year-old explained Monday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” that he knew the Buchecha bout would be the last of his UFC contract, but he’d been in that situation before. “In the first contract, they let me fight it to the end,” he said. “This was the same scenario, again.”
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Back then, an August 2023 first-round submission win over Josh Parisian helped seal Buday’s fate. The UFC offered a four-fight contract extension.
This time around, there was no such deal. There was no negotiation.
The UFC was no longer in the Buday business.
“I found out last Wednesday [July 30],” said Buday. “I got a call from my manager to say the UFC will not be extending the contract with us. So, it was pretty rough. I was very upset and very sad because I love UFC. I was hoping to get re-signed. I was sad about the situation.”
Buday, who won seven of his eight UFC appearances in the promotion’s heavyweight division, said he’s aware of the reasons why. He’d been told his victories needed that punctuation mark — that slam dunk. Buday needed to finish people in exciting fashion, rather than win by decision, as all but the Parisian win were.
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“My fights are not attractive on the eyes of the fan,” he said. “But I do everything to secure the win. That was the main problem — I didn’t have finishes in the fight.”
When Buday lost by brutal, second-round knockout to Shamil Gaziev in 2023, he feared the worst.
He feared the UFC would cut him from the roster.
It was communicated to him that the UFC “was not happy with decisions.” He needed a big finish, he said. But, against Gaziev, it was he who got finished.
Buday admitted he was worried. “It was a bad performance,” he said.
Regardless, Buday rebounded to win three fights in a row. He eked out a split decision over the former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in June 2024, even though Buday’s father died during fight week. Buday “wasn’t there mentally” that week, or in the fight itself, he said. “It was a very unfortunate situation for me.”
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Buday then scored a clear-cut unanimous decision over Uran Satybaldiev this past April. And then, of course, he beat Buchecha in what he described as his “best performance in the UFC.”
Ranked No. 12 in the division after a three-year grind, his exit from MMA’s market-leader blindsided him somewhat. “I was hoping after my last performance that I would be re-signed,” he said.
Martin Buday did not receive a UFC contract offer after defeating Marcus Buchecha at UFC Abu Dhabi. Buday was 7-1 in the promotion at the time of his departure.
(Chris Unger via Getty Images)
Nonetheless, Buday chooses to look at the future with optimism as he’s confident his skills are improving. There are also at least three organizations scrambling for his signature, he claimed. Buday said there is interest from the PFL, and that Oktagon MMA — a surging promotion in Europe — is also keen to bring its former champ back.
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“I have some offers from other promoters all around the world,” he said.
One other proposal was from GLORY Kickboxing, but Buday knocked back their advances. He wants his next move to stay within the realm of mixed martial arts. He would also spur any advances from KSW, if there were any, because he trains alongside Phil De Fries, the current KSW heavyweight champion.
“I will decline that offer instantly,” he said. “I will not fight my teammates.”
That leaves PFL and Oktagon.
“I like the interest from PFL, and also Oktagon MMA, where I was champion before the UFC,” he said, noting that he’s leaning toward a return to the organization he fought for from 2018-21.
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“They’re doing incredible things and are No. 1 in Europe right now. Expanding big. Doing stadiums. Big promotion, and good for them.”
If Buday continues sharpening his skills and starts finishing fights rather than simply winning them, then he hopes a return to the UFC is in the cards.
It’s a company he says he still loves.
“I want to thank them for making me the fighter and person I am today,” he said.
“If I do some good wins, good finishes, maybe they will be open to re-signing me.”
